Page 6 of Baby and the Beast

“Pretty sure you did the hard part,” Seth replied, but a warmth he hadn’t felt for a while curled inside him and spread out. “What are you going to call him?”

Jesse smiled faintly, already half-asleep. “Maddox, after my grandfather. He gave me some money to get away.”

Seth nodded and tried to make himself comfortable against the wall.

“And his middle name will be Seth after his midwife.”

Seth grinned. That was completely unnecessary but really kind of wonderful. Jesse yawned again, and so did Seth.

One minute he was thinking he ought to see if Jesse was hungry, and the next minute he was blinking awake. The first thing he realized was that the sun was shining, and the second thing was that his arms were empty.

And he wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He focused on Jesse sitting about three feet away, fully dressed and cradling Maddox.Seth winced at the crick in his neck and took in all Jesse’s packed belongings.

“You’releaving?” Seth couldn’t keep the panic from his voice.

Jesse hesitated. “I can’t risk someone coming to see why the cabin looks occupied. You saw the light last night.”

Seth shook his head. “No one’s going to come and look in this weather. I came because I was supposed to be renting a cabin three miles on, and my boyfriend—ex-boyfriend,” Seth corrected, “canceled the booking out of spite. The car wouldn’t start, and I managed to stand on my phone.”

Jesse paled. “I’m sorry. I thought you’d just get in your car and drive off.”

“Where are you going to go?”

“I don’t know,” Jesse admitted. “But I have no documentation for him, and if someone called the cops because of your car, I could be in deep trouble.” Jesse bit his lip, and Seth didn’t bother pointing out it was dangerous for a newborn to be out in this weather. He knew Jesse would know, but he was backed into a corner.

Seth got up off the floor and eased his shoulders. “How about this? Let me go see if I can start the car. In the daylight it will be a lot easier. If I can’t, I can always go for help, and if I’m with the car—” He swore softly. “No phone.”

Jesse flushed guiltily and reached into his pocket, bringing out a cheap Android. “It has some minutes on there. I’m sorry.”

Seth smiled, too relieved to be angry. “I don’t blame you. After all you’ve been through to keep him safe, I’d be a little paranoid as well.” Maddox chose that moment to decide to wake up and snuffled into the blanket. “Shall I get a bottle?”

Jesse smiled shyly. “Would you mind holding him? I need to pee, and there’s a bottle cooling over there.” He gestured to the small burner and the pot of water. Seth eagerly held his armsout, completely enchanted at the thought of getting his first cuddle.

Which could easily be my last.

But Seth, with his arms full of warm, snuggly baby, firmly pushed that unpleasant thought aside. “Hi.” Seth looked down. Maddox still had his eyes shut, and delicately, he drew his finger down one soft cheek, and Maddox reflexively turned his head toward it. He’d looked at him last night obviously, but more of a ten fingers and toes sort of thing, not anOMG you are so cuteI’m gonna diereaction. He knew Maddox’s eyes were blue, but he thought he’d read that all babies were born with blue eyes and then they changed. He guessed they would turn into something like his daddy’s. Those gorgeous chocolate-brown eyes that still had him thinking inappropriate thoughts the day afterward.

But then Maddox’s daddywasgorgeous. Seth heaved a sigh. He guessed he had a type. Slim, delicate, needed protection. He grinned, thinking of Jesse’s bear. It was more like Seth needed protection from him.

“What are you grinning at?”

Seth chuckled. “I was thinking you didn’t need any protection from me, it was more like the other way around.” Seth flushed, wishing he had filtered that thought.

“I would never hurt you,” Jesse said, aghast.

“I didn’t think you would,” Seth hastened to explain. “I meant I tend to be attracted to slim pretty guys that are smaller than me and need protection, and that you’re exactly that except for the whole bear thing.” As epic silences went, this one was particularly stunning.

As soon as Seth realized he’d just told Jesse he thought he was pretty, a blush roasted his cheeks so quickly he was surprised he didn’t catch fire. “I mean—”

“I’m too skinny,” Jesse said. Which wasn’t what Seth had expected. “Finding food has been hard away from my family, and trying to keep out of sight or smell has been even harder.”

“I thought you said you were miles from them?”

Jesse nodded. “It’s the real bears that are the greatest risk to me. They would sense something threatening and are more likely to attack. Plus, my insides are kind of complicated. Carrying a cub doesn’t leave much room for food, and I was wary of shifting too often the closer I got to the birth in case it hurt him.”

“Protein bars will keep you alive, but they won’t fatten you up.” Seth winced and patted his stomach. He supposed the abs were in there somewhere, just hidden. “My ex was always trying to make me diet.”

Jesse’s eyes widened. “You don’t need to diet.”

---